Forestry machines are utilized for clearing land, creating paths, and otherwise removing debris, brush, trees, and/or vegetation, making the land suitable for further development or use. To carry out these tasks, such machines can be fitted with mulching or cutting apparatus for shredding vegetation, brush, trees, stumps, and other materials. In particular, the mulching apparatus may be integrally or detachably attached to a tractor, skid steer, or other forestry vehicle to facilitate articulation and movement of the mowing apparatus with respect to the vegetation. Often, the vehicle is a multi-purpose vehicle having the capability to be fitted with any of a variety of attachments suitable for the task at hand. For example, the vehicle can include a common connection for connecting to and driving mulching attachments such as brush cutters, rotary mowers, shredders, grinders, and crushers. Such mulching attachments can be hydraulically driven via hydraulic power from the vehicle. One illustrative type of mulching apparatus is known as a “flail mower” which utilizes a rotatable axle with either a swinging or fixed position cutting tool (often known as “flails”).
The axles of such apparatus typically rotate at speeds in excess of 1000 rpm and as high as 2200 rpm. Due to the high rotating speed of the axle of a mowing apparatus, the axle may continue rotating for extended periods of time after power shutoff. Accordingly, even after power shutoff, it is possible for an operator to climb out and contact the rotating shredding tool (e.g., the flails) while the axle continues to rotate. This risk is particularly high where there is a close proximity of the mulching attachment to the exit door of the vehicle cab, which is often the case. Any contact with the flails associated with a rotating axle might result in severe injury or death.
In order to avoid inadvertent contact with rotating flails, the axle may be slowed to a stop by shutting off the power and then moving the mulching apparatus until the flails engage the earth or other blunt object. Alternatively, the operator may wait an extended period of time after shutting off power until the axle stops rotating. However, operator error during normal or emergency situations may result in inadvertent or unavoidable contact with flails that are rotating dangerously with the axle.
While disc and caliper braking systems could be utilized upon shut down, such systems require parts that can wear quickly and therefore increase operating costs and create increased maintenance requirements. Likewise, such systems can require operator action to engage the brake in order to slow the rotor. Accordingly, it is desired to increase the safety of hydraulically driven rotating mulching or cutting apparatus, such as those used with forestry machines and with forestry vehicles.
Moreover, maintaining optimal pressures is often important in high-speed, hydraulically-driven rotational systems, to ensure optimal operation and prevent break down of the device. Accordingly, it is further desired to provide an automatic hydraulic rotor control system and method that is capable of quickly braking a high-speed hydraulic rotating apparatus, at optimal pressure levels.